Chapter 349: The Special Murderer
"This family annihilation case is not ordinary."
Ah Bang was originally a member of Lam Ho-Tin's team, but after the Five Tigers successively made mistakes, Lam Ho-Tin retired, and Jak Jai Ming, Tau Pei, and others were reassigned. Ah Bang was also transferred to Yuen Ho-Wan's team.
He was already a key player in Lam Ho-Tin's team and quickly became a backbone of Yuen Ho-Wan's team, becoming Yuen Ho-Wan's primary assistant.
"In two consecutive days, two family annihilation cases occurred, resulting in over a dozen deaths."
"Note that most of the deceased were elderly and children."
"There were only four adults."
"Which means the couples from both families."
"The murderer's methods were extremely cruel. The scene was bloody and nauseating. In the kitchen, there was a blender containing a portion of the female owner's liver, blended into juice—both crime scenes had such an item."
"The murderer should be an experienced one; we found almost no clues."
"This is the basic situation of the case."
Ah Bang introduced the situation to the Police Station officers in the conference room.
"No clues at all? What did the neighbors say?" Yuen Ho-Wan frowned deeply.
"Unfortunately, no. Forensic High Sir said that the murderer was very careful about his own protection during the crime. He wore gloves, so no fingerprints could be extracted."
Ah Bang's face was expressionless, suppressing his anger.
"It's as if the murderer had a mortal grudge against the two families. The victims' bodies were quite fragmented, as if he was venting."
"Venting hatred?" Yuen Ho-Wan's frown deepened. "What did the neighbors say?"
"That's where we're stumped," Ah Bang explained. "The brothers investigated the victims' neighbors, and these two families shared a common trait: they were all known as good people in the neighborhood."
"Both families had three generations living together, and one even had four generations."
"The entire family was very harmonious. Neighbors said they never even spoke loudly."
"They were never seen arguing with anyone, and when neighbors had problems, they would actively help."
"Not surprising!" Yuen Ho-Wan said casually. "If they weren't such people, how could they have four generations living together?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
When a large family lives together, atmosphere is paramount. If the home atmosphere isn't good, they would have fallen out long ago.
The fact that these two families received such praise from neighbors indicated they were truly good people.
"We also checked the financial situations of both families; their finances were very healthy," Ah Bang said, looking at his notebook.
"Given the brutal nature of the murderer's methods, could it be a crime of passion?" Yuen Ho-Wan asked.
Family annihilation cases are generally either for money or for love; other reasons are rare.
Many people turn love into hate, extending their hatred to everything associated with the person.
"The victims were self-respecting; such a thing simply didn't exist," Ah Bang still shook his head.
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned deeply, cursing under his breath.
He thought of a phrase—random killing!
If it really was such a case, then it would be troublesome.
When the Police Station solves cases, the hardest ones to crack are crimes of passion.
In such cases, the perpetrator and victim often have little connection, sometimes not even knowing each other, making it impossible to trace them through social relationships.
Thus, these cases easily become cold cases.
Ordinary cases might be acceptable, but this was no ordinary case; it was a family annihilation!
"Did anyone else find anything?" Yuen Ho-Wan asked with a glimmer of hope, but silence was his only answer.
Yuen Ho-Wan's heart sank; this case was very troublesome.
"There's still another problem." As if it couldn't get worse, Ah Bang dealt him another blow. "The current situation makes our investigations very difficult."
"Traffic is congested, and when the brothers go to investigate, they often only gather a tiny bit of information in a day."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
What the Tycoon Group had done was too disgusting. Hong Kong people's pace of life was already fast, and once that rhythm was disrupted, people easily became irritable.
Yuen Ho-Wan himself was very irritable.
"There's nothing we can do about it. The other brothers are all on the streets maintaining order; otherwise, this case wouldn't have fallen to our O-unit."
"Brothers, please bear with it and continue to investigate."
"I always feel there's something fishy here."
"No matter what, we must find this murderer."
"Ah Bang, stay behind; everyone else, get to work."
Everyone responded in unison and went about their tasks.
Yuen Ho-Wan pulled out a Marlboro and tossed one to Ah Bang:
"What do you think of this case?"
Ah Bang took a deep drag, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
"This is a serial case. I don't believe it's a random killing."
"There must be a commonality here."
"We just haven't found it yet."
Yuen Ho-Wan stood in front of the blackboard, examining the bloody crime scene photos.
"Typical serial murder cases invariably have commonalities."
"Human habits are shaped by growth and environment, becoming subconscious behaviors that are not easily changed."
"The more tense the moment, the more one adheres to these instincts."
Ah Bang nodded repeatedly.
"So what is the commonality between these two families?"
Yuen Ho-Wan fell into deep thought, smoke swirling around him, enveloping him entirely.
Ah Bang moved quickly, pulling out another blackboard. He swiftly listed several points.
"The victims were all families gathered together. The victims in the first case were a large family of seven, and in the second case, there were even more victims, a large family of eight."
"All members of the victim families were good people, certified by neighbors and colleagues. They had no enemies, their financial situation was healthy, and there were no extramarital affairs."
"Both cases occurred during a nighttime thunderstorm, roughly between eleven PM and one AM. The heavy rain masked the victims' cries for help."
"The murderer was exceptionally cruel; a blender containing the female owner's liver was found in a corner of the kitchen."
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned:
"There's a problem here."
"The sound of the thunderstorm could mask the sounds of the murderer committing the crime, but there's one thing I can't figure out."
Ah Bang asked curiously:
"What?"
"We didn't find the murderer's footprints at the scene. What does that mean?" Yuen Ho-Wan frowned tightly.
"The murderer must have entered the crime scene before the thunderstorm. Only then can it explain why there were no muddy footprints of his inside the house," Ah Bang said.
"Exactly. But similarly, another problem arises." Yuen Ho-Wan began to brainstorm wildly. "If you were the male owner of this house, would you let an outsider into your home around eleven at night?"
Huh?!
Ah Bang was stunned. At first, he didn't understand what Yuen Ho-Wan meant, but once he realized, his face changed drastically.
"That's right, I have elders above and children below. Not only are there young children but also elderly people in the house, and it's already late. I absolutely wouldn't let a stranger into my home."
"But the murderer got in!"
"That's illogical!"
"The murderer must have known the victims or had business dealings with them."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter so late."
They exchanged glances and both began to review the victims' files.
"No, this case is very wrong."
"One occurred in West Kowloon, the other in New Territories."
"Postmen, plumbers, and so on, would all be ruled out."
Yuen Ho-Wan's face showed a fierce glint.
"Perhaps it was the same family doctor, or someone else."
"This is definitely not a random crime of passion; there must be some commonality we don't know about."
Ah Bang carefully examined the victims' family photos, sighing:
"What wonderful families they were."
"Harmonious, with respect for elders and care for children, typical happy families."
"The murderer is truly a pervert. How could he lay hands on two such happy families… Wait!"
Ah Bang suddenly jumped up.
Yuen Ho-Wan was taken aback:
"What did you think of?"
Ah Bang looked at the family photo with a dark expression.
"Why are you so happy? Why am I so unlucky?"
"Heaven is so unfair."
"You really deserve to die!"
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned:
"What nonsense are you talking about? They're happy, so they deserve to die?"
Suddenly, he understood and looked at Ah Bang in surprise.
"Are you saying… the murderer killed these two families out of jealousy?"
Ah Bang's face grew even darker:
"Exactly!"
"It's because of jealousy!"
"Jealousy that others are happier than himself."
They exchanged glances and both said, "This murderer must be crazy!"
Yuen Ho-Wan immediately said:
"The murderer must have a specific connection to both families. He didn't choose them randomly; he meticulously selected them. We must bring him to justice."
Ah Bang smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"It's hard to find!"
"Tycoon Group's people have blocked the roads. A twenty-minute drive usually takes a long time now, and efficiency is low."
"Hard to find or not, we must find him." Yuen Ho-Wan immediately said, "This guy committed such brutal crimes; if we don't bring him to justice quickly, who knows if there will be another victim."
Ah Bang fell silent.
Yuen Ho-Wan was just being tactful; if the killer wasn't caught quickly, there would definitely be a third or even a fourth victim.
Ding-a-ling!
Yuen Ho-Wan picked up the phone:
"Chief!"
Ah Bang's heart tightened.
"What? Mr. Lin said? Okay, we'll go right away!"
After hanging up, Yuen Ho-Wan said to Ah Bang,
"The killer has been found!"
Ah Bang's eyes nearly popped out:
"The killer has been found?"
"Are other teams at the Police Station also handling this case?"
Normally, this would be impossible, as it would severely waste police resources and lead to internal friction with multiple directives.
"It's not from our Police Station." Yuen Ho-Wan's expression was unreadable.
Ah Bang's face also looked bad.
This was a family annihilation case urged by the Police Station, but the Police Station wasn't the one solving it?
A total slap in the face!
"Mr. Lin's news…"
Ah Bang was stunned:
"Mr. Lin? Lin Feng?!"
Yuen Ho-Wan nodded:
"Yes, it's him."
"The Chief found Mr. Lin, and Mr. Lin said that the two victims had a common photographer. As long as we find this photographer, it will be fine."
"He is the killer!"
Ah Bang thought for a moment and said,
"This is consistent with our hypothesis."
"The killer didn't choose randomly; he was very selective."
"One of these two victims was in West Kowloon and the other in New Territories, so a common photographer is normal."
"However…" Yuen Ho-Wan took a deep breath, "Mr. Lin said this killer is unusual; he is mentally ill."
"That guy must be mentally ill." Ah Bang said dismissively, "If he wasn't mentally ill, how could he annihilate an entire family out of jealousy?"
"Let's go, we two will bring that photographer back." Yuen Ho-Wan clapped his hands.
"Just the two of us?" Ah Bang was very surprised, "Don't we need to call some more brothers?"
This guy is a killer who annihilated an entire family; just two of them going to apprehend him?
Ah Bang wasn't lacking confidence in his own skills, but the suspect's identity was unusual.
The killer of a serial family annihilation case—if he escaped, how big of an impact would that cause?
"It's fine, Mr. Lin said this guy is mentally ill."
Yuen Ho-Wan explained casually.
However, this explanation confused Ah Bang.
"Just come with me, Mr. Lin won't be wrong."
Ah Bang nodded repeatedly.
Lin Feng's reputation was beyond reproach, almost like his words were golden.
Sure enough, following Lin Feng's guidance, the two successfully found the photographer for both families—an honest and simple photographer named Wang Zhaoxiang.
"Officers, are you looking for me for something?" Wang Zhaoxiang was very honest and simple. He wore glasses and had a peaceful demeanor.
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang were both experienced O-team members, and they had seen countless criminals.
However, seeing Wang Zhaoxiang, the two still looked at each other, unable to help but think:
"Is this guy really the killer of the serial family annihilation case?"
"Mr. Lin didn't give us false information, did he?"
No matter who looked, no one would connect this guy with a killer.
No!
This guy probably wouldn't even run a red light!
Yuen Ho-Wan hardened his heart:
"Wang Zhaoxiang, don't be afraid. We have a case that requires you to come back and assist with the investigation."
"Okay, then I'll go back and tell my boss. Officer, I will cooperate with the investigation." Wang Zhaoxiang got their permission and stood up to ask his photo studio boss for leave.
Ah Bang looked strange:
"We two didn't even think about following him to watch?"
Yuen Ho-Wan shook his head:
"This guy looks like a timid person. No matter who sees him, they wouldn't feel any danger from him."
Ah Bang suddenly stood up:
"I'll go check!"
Yuen Ho-Wan said strangely:
"Don't worry, this guy will definitely come back."
"I've seen too many guys like him."
Ah Bang's face changed:
"Officer Yuen, you said, what kind of stranger would those two victims let into their rooms late at night?"
"They clearly have elders above and children below at home."
Yuen Ho-Wan said casually:
"Of course, someone harmless to the family…"
The two stood up in unison and rushed to the photo studio. To their relief, Wang Zhaoxiang had just returned from asking for leave. As Yuen Ho-Wan expected, this guy really hadn't thought of running away.
However, at this moment, the two no longer had any carelessness.
Wang Zhaoxiang was smoothly brought back to the Police Station.
The two quickly had their colleagues come back to conduct a background check on Wang Zhaoxiang. They conducted an initial interrogation of Wang Zhaoxiang.
"Do you know Mr. Lai from Tsim Sha Tsui and Mr. Lin from New Territories?"
"I know them! I was the photographer at Mr. Zhang's wedding; they were both Mr. Zhang's good friends and attended his wedding. I took a family photo for them."
"Did you give them the family photo?"
"I did! I gave Mr. Lai's family photo the day before yesterday, and Mr. Lin's family photo yesterday."
"When did you see them?"
"Around ten o'clock at night, I guess?"
"Why so late?"
"I was busy with work. These past two days, people have been protesting on the streets, blocking traffic. I wanted to be fast, but there was no way. I had arranged with them that I would deliver the photos after work. But those protesters blocked the traffic most severely during rush hour. There was no way; it was around ten o'clock when I got there."
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang exchanged glances, nodding slightly.
Speaking of this, not only was Wang Zhaoxiang full of resentment, but so were they.
The Police Station dispatched a considerable amount of police force every day to maintain order; only the O-team was a bit better, but that was relative.
Large numbers of police were wasted on the streets, and the O-team's cases doubled.
Fortunately, the Triad was very quiet during this period; otherwise, they would have to work like ten people each.
"When did you leave?"
"I forgot."
"That's not right. You remember the entry time clearly, but you don't remember when you left?"
"I really don't remember! I was already in bed after I woke up."
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang exchanged glances again, and the former said:
"Wang Zhaoxiang, this is very important. Please try to recall."
"Officer, I have been cooperating with you. I've said everything I can. I really forgot." Wang Zhaoxiang was quite distressed.
"This isn't right!" Ah Bang automatically played the bad cop, "You remember clearly when you went in; it's impossible to forget the time you came out. If you act like this, we can't clear you of the crime."
"Don't even think about playing tricks!"
"What tricks am I playing?" Wang Zhaoxiang cried out, and suddenly, his eyes widened, "Officer, you said you want to clear me of the crime? What do you mean? What happened to Mr. Lai and Mr. Zhang?"
Yuen Ho-Wan sighed:
"It's not what happened to Mr. Lai and Mr. Zhang; it's what happened to their entire families?"
Wang Zhaoxiang was confused:
"I don't understand!"
Bang!
Ah Bang slammed the table heavily:
"Don't understand? Then I'll tell you."
"Mr. Lai's family in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mr. Zhang's family in New Territories, fifteen people combined, all died completely overnight!"
"Come on, tell me, when did you leave?"
"Dead?" Wang Zhaoxiang's pupils constricted, and he suddenly tilted his head and fainted.
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang stood up at once.
The two looked at each other, both stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Ah Bang quickly stepped forward and pushed him:
"Wang Zhaoxiang, Wang Zhaoxiang, wake up!"
While pushing Wang Zhaoxiang, Ah Bang said with a wry smile to Yuen Ho-Wan,
"I've never seen such a timid guy."
"Ah Bang, be careful!" Yuen Ho-Wan shouted a warning.
Ah Bang was startled, turned his head, and was immediately shocked!
He saw Wang Zhaoxiang's face full of malevolence, his eyes as if he wanted to kill, suddenly reaching out to grab Ah Bang, his voice as if he had changed into a different person, full of deep malevolence:
"You two bastards, how dare you hurt my brother!"
"I, Tan Zhaoliang, swear that I will never allow anyone to harm my brother!"
+++
Chapter 350: Truly Mentally Ill!
"What the hell is that?"
Ah Bang, startled, instinctively punched Wang Zhaoxiang hard.
Then something that shocked him and Yuen Ho-Wan happened.
The punch was blocked by Wang Zhaoxiang, and the latter's counter-attack almost injured Ah Bang.
"This guy is definitely not an honest person!"
At this moment, the two experienced O' Department officers instantly reached a consensus!
To hell with honest people, Wang Zhaoxiang was definitely not as weak and harmless as he appeared!
Bang!
Ah Bang, being an elite detective, subdued Wang Zhaoxiang in a few moves:
"Tell me, did you commit those two family annihilation cases in Tsim Sha Tsui and New Territories?"
"Yes, I did!" Wang Zhaoxiang uttered in a sinister voice.
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang were stunned.
This was completely different from his previous answers.
Before, no matter how they asked, Wang Zhaoxiang's answer was always that he couldn't remember, couldn't recall.
Now, it was a completely different story.
"Then why didn't you answer when we asked you earlier?"
Ah Bang, feeling angry, asked sharply.
"Didn't you say you had no memory?"
"And now you do?"
Wang Zhaoxiang shouted fiercely:
"My younger brother certainly wouldn't remember such things, he didn't do them, I did!"
The two were confused, looking at each other, not understanding what he meant.
Yuen Ho-Wan wondered:
"Aren't you Wang Zhaoxiang?"
Wang Zhaoxiang shook his head:
"I'm not, I'm Tan Zhaoliang!"
Ah Bang was exasperated:
"Are you kidding us?"
Wang Zhaoxiang said coldly:
"I am Wang Zhaoxiang's elder brother, you can go and investigate!"
"However, a person is responsible for their own actions. Whatever it is, just come at me, and never harm my younger brother."
"Whoever harms him, I will take their life!"
Ah Bang was about to speak when Yuen Ho-Wan gently pulled him:
"Come, let's talk outside!"
The two came to the two-way mirror outside the interrogation room, only to see "Tan Zhaoliang" inside, indifferent and showing no intention of escaping.
"Is this real or fake?" Yuen Ho-Wan asked, stroking his chin.
"Sir Yuen, do you believe this guy?" Ah Bang was completely bewildered, "This is clearly Wang Zhaoxiang, not some Tan Zhaoliang at all."
"You mustn't be fooled by him."
Yuen Ho-Wan glanced at Ah Bang:
"Without a doubt, this guy is the killer."
"It's just that you understand the procedures for us officers handling cases."
"We need to clarify all the suspicious points, otherwise, once it goes to court, the opposing lawyer can easily refute it, and that would waste the efforts of our colleagues."
Ah Bang nodded repeatedly:
"Sir Yuen is right."
"This Wang Zhaoxiang guy has two faces, in public and in private."
"When he's a photographer, he's timid, cowardly, and very honest, no one would ever be on guard against him."
"Even if it's late at night, even if the family has elderly and children, they would willingly invite this guy into their home."
"But who would have thought, this was truly inviting a wolf into the house."
"When he revealed this other face, those two families suffered."
Yuen Ho-Wan nodded heavily.
"Have the colleagues investigate Wang Zhaoxiang's social connections."
"Especially, find out what's going on with this so-called Tan Zhaoliang."
"Could this guy really have a mental illness?"
Ah Bang suddenly fell silent.
Earlier, Lin Feng provided information, and Wang Zhaoxiang was easily found, and that guy admitted to killing people.
But mental illness… this was truly bad news.
In court, whether one likes it or not, mental illness can truly exempt one from many things.
"No!"
Ah Bang suddenly said with conviction,
"This guy definitely doesn't have any mental illness!"
Yuen Ho-Wan gently patted his shoulder.
Two hours later, the team members reassembled.
"Sir Yuen, after our investigation, we have basically sorted out Wang Zhaoxiang's social connections."
"This guy was adopted."
"His original surname was Tan, not Wang."
"'Wang' is his adoptive father's surname, his original surname was Tan, which was his mother's surname."
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
"What about his father?"
The colleague said:
"Unfortunately, this guy grew up in a single-parent family."
"Not long after he was born, his father abandoned them, the mother and two children, and ran away."
"Wang Zhaoxiang has an elder brother named Tan Zhaoliang…"
Ah Leung asked:
"Where is Tan Zhaoliang now?"
The colleague shook his head:
"He's dead!"
The conference room suddenly fell silent.
Ah Bang felt a toothache:
"Possessed by a ghost or something?"
Yuen Ho-Wan quickly said:
"Don't talk nonsense."
Hong Kong people believe in feng shui and ghosts, very devoutly.
"In the year Tan Zhaoliang was twelve, he contracted meningitis and died after ineffective treatment."
"His mother couldn't bear the shock and also ran away."
"Wang Zhaoxiang was then placed in an orphanage."
"He was only three years old at that time."
"Later, he was adopted by foster parents, but in the year he turned twelve, he also contracted meningitis."
Ah Bang frowned:
"Is it that ominous?"
Yuen Ho-Wan shook his head:
"Just a coincidence, or more likely, a hereditary disease."
Ah Bang nodded slightly.
The colleague continued:
"Wang Zhaoxiang's foster parents took meticulous care of him, and fortunately, he pulled through."
"Two years ago, his foster parents' family immigrated to Australia, but Wang Zhaoxiang did not go with them, staying in Hong Kong alone."
"According to the neighbors, Wang Zhaoxiang is a standard good person."
"He never got angry with anyone."
"Wang Zhaoxiang is honest and timid, but he works diligently, and the neighbors all like him."
"The photo studio owner said that Wang Zhaoxiang is a key member of their studio. Basically, for any red or white events, they send him out."
"He can be said to be a signboard for their studio."
Yuen Ho-Wan nodded slightly.
"So, Tan Zhaoliang really did exist."
"Then, what's going on with that guy in our interrogation room?"
Ah Bang said flatly:
"He's just playing tricks!"
Yuen Ho-Wan was silent for a while before saying:
"If he's really just playing tricks, that would be good. What I'm afraid of is that he has a mental illness."
Ah Bang paused.
"Ah Bang, you come with me to check!"
"Ah Lung, go and invite High Sir from Forensics and Dr. Koo from the Medical Examiner's office."
The two entered the room, and Tan Zhaoliang looked at them with a sinister expression:
"You've figured it out, haven't you? I committed the crimes, not my younger brother."
"Whatever it is, just come at me."
Ah Bang asked:
"Why did you kill them?"
Bang!
This sentence seemed like a trigger, instantly igniting Tan Zhaoliang:
"They deserved to die!"
"My younger brother and I depended on each other; he was sickly from a young age and was always bullied."
"I absolutely will not allow anyone to bully him."
"No one!"
"My younger brother went to deliver their family photos late at night, and as a result, they bullied him. They deserved to die!"
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned:
"How did they bully your younger brother?"
Tan Zhaoliang shouted:
"They clearly knew my younger brother was an orphan, yet they deliberately flaunted their family happiness in front of him."
"Those bursts of laughter were like knives, brutally stabbing into my younger brother's heart."
"Only I understand my younger brother's pain!"
"These two families deserved to die!"
"All of them deserved to die!"
"My younger brother is very kind."
"When others bully him, he can only endure it!"
"This won't do!"
"I, as his elder brother, won't allow it."
"Whoever bullies my younger brother, I will definitely kill them."
"Heh, regardless of age, regardless of gender, they all deserved to die."
A lunatic!
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang secretly made their judgment.
"How did you kill them?"
Tan Zhaoliang sneered:
"While chatting with the male homeowner, I used the excuse of wanting to look around the house, went directly to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and killed them all, one by one, cleanly."
"The more they bullied my younger brother just now, the more fiercely I killed them."
"Heh!"
"Watching them die in agony in front of me, it was truly exhilarating!"
"No one is allowed to bully my younger brother, no one at all."
Tan Zhaoliang's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
Yuen Ho-Wan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"When you killed them, did your younger brother know?"
Tan Zhaoliang said as if it were obvious:
"How could I let Ah Xiang know about such things? He just needs to be happy. The rest of the matters are naturally for me to handle."
Yuen Ho-Wan nodded slightly:
"That's like an elder brother."
"However, there's one thing you've forgotten."
Tan Zhaoliang said indifferently:
"What thing?"
Yuen Ho-Wan said calmly:
"This body belongs to Wang Zhaoxiang, not to you."
"You may have enjoyed doing this, but it's Wang Zhaoxiang who will be punished!"
"This is a series of family annihilations; Wang Zhaoxiang can expect to spend the rest of his life in prison!"
Tan Zhaoliang's pupils suddenly contracted:
"No!"
"I'll take responsibility for my actions. Just arrest me, don't hurt my brother!"
Ah Bang sneered, "You'd better find a body that only belongs to you then!"
Tan Zhaoliang suddenly clenched his fists. Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang watched cautiously, only to see the man suddenly slump onto the table, motionless.
Ah Bang was stunned. "What's wrong with him? Why does he keep fainting?"
"Tan Zhaoliang, wake up!"
Tan Zhaoliang slowly woke up. "Huh, Officer Yuen, Officer Wong, aren't you going to ask me to assist with an investigation? You can ask now. I need to go back to the photo studio soon; I only asked for an hour off."
Hmm?
Yuen Ho-Wan and Ah Bang exchanged glances. The latter asked, "You don't remember anything?"
Wang Zhaoxiang looked rather bewildered. "Remember what?"
"You just called me over. Feel free to ask whatever you want."
Ah Bang felt a bad premonition and looked at Yuen Ho-Wan incredulously. Was Wang Zhaoxiang faking amnesia in front of them?
"Do you have a brother named Tan Zhaoliang?" Yuen Ho-Wan asked.
"Yes, but he passed away when he was twelve," Wang Zhaoxiang looked at the two of them, perplexed.
Yuen Ho-Wan thought for a moment and pushed the interrogation record forward. "See for yourself."
Wang Zhaoxiang picked up the interrogation record, baffled, and was immediately stunned. "What?"
"Mr. Lai and Mr. Zhang's families were killed by my brother?"
"How could this be?"
"Why would he do such a thing?"
Yuen Ho-Wan asked, "When you saw Mr. Lai and Mr. Zhang's families, what did you feel inside?"
Wang Zhaoxiang replied directly, "Envy!"
"A bit of sadness."
"I didn't have a complete childhood. When I saw their families reunited, I felt very envious."
"But I really didn't expect something like this to happen."
"I wouldn't let it happen either."
"Officer, you have to believe me!"
Yuen Ho-Wan sighed. "It seems you can't go back. For now, you'll have to stay here for a while."
Wang Zhaoxiang remained silent.
Pushing the door open and walking out, Yuen Ho-Wan asked, "Gentlemen, is what Wang Zhaoxiang said true or false?"
Koo Chak-Sum frowned. "Wang Zhaoxiang's symptoms are medically known as dissociative identity disorder."
"That is to say, there are two personalities within one body."
"Typically, these two personalities either one knows the other, or both know each other."
"In Wang Zhaoxiang's case, Tan Zhaoliang knows Wang Zhaoxiang, but Wang Zhaoxiang doesn't know Tan Zhaoliang."
Ah Bang blurted out, "So there really is a mental illness?"
"But why does Wang Zhaoxiang always have amnesia?"
Koo Chak-Sum explained, "This is normal."
"When two personalities briefly switch, there will be a small range of amnesia."
"Wang Zhaoxiang has no idea about Tan Zhaoliang's existence, so naturally, he wouldn't know about his actions."
"Amnesia is natural."
"This amnesia can also extend backward."
Ah Bang was startled. "So, Wang Zhaoxiang really didn't remember that we had interrogated him before?"
Koo Chak-Sum nodded. "Exactly!"
"This also explains why he clearly remembers going to the two victims' homes but doesn't remember when he left."
"It's also fortunate that he spent a long time at the victims' homes; otherwise, he probably wouldn't even remember that."
Ah Bang snorted. "I wish this guy hadn't gone to the victims' homes."
Koo Chak-Sum remained silent.
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned. "Is this guy really mentally ill? He's not faking it, is he?"
Koo Chak-Sum shook his head. "No!"
"Symptoms like these are very typical, and Wang Zhaoxiang's reactions are natural, without any pretense. He truly has a mental illness."
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned. "This is troublesome!"
Ah Bang was indifferent. "What's so troublesome about it?"
"A serial family massacre, a total of fifteen people, all killed by him."
"Whether it's Wang Zhaoxiang or Tan Zhaoliang, these are undeniable facts."
Yuen Ho-Wan shook his head. "That's not how it works."
"If Wang Zhaoxiang did it, then it's simple, just hand him over to the judge."
"But if Tan Zhaoliang did it, then there's a problem."
Ah Bang asked curiously, "What problem?"
Yuen Ho-Wan thought for a moment and pulled Ah Bang's hand. "Let's say."
"It's like I held your hand and shot Dr. Koo, and your fingerprints were left on the gun."
"Do you think that's reasonable?"
Ah Bang's eyes widened. "It can be interpreted that way?"
"They are one person!"
Yuen Ho-Wan shook his head. "You and I can easily distinguish between Wang Zhaoxiang and Tan Zhaoliang; they are clearly two different people."
"We cannot force Wang Zhaoxiang to take responsibility for Tan Zhaoliang's actions, nor can we push Wang Zhaoxiang's actions onto Wang Zhaoxiang…"
Ah Bang was dumbfounded.
In a moment of desperation, he suddenly looked at Ko Yin-Bok. "Sir Ko, do you agree that Wang Zhaoxiang has a mental illness?"
He quickly said to Koo Chak-Sum, "Dr. Koo, I don't mean to question you…"
Koo Chak-Sum shook his head. "I understand what you mean."
Ko Yin-Bok thought for a moment and said, "I agree with Dr. Koo's judgment; Wang Zhaoxiang does have a mental illness."
Ah Bang said absurdly, "Are we just going to let him go because he's mentally ill?"
"What if he goes and kills again?"
"This guy killed fifteen people in just three days!"
Ko Yin-Bok said sternly, "Sir Wong, arresting people is our job, but determining whether a criminal is guilty is not our job; it's the judge and jury's job."
"Sir Yuen is talking about an ethical issue, but I want to verify something else based on legal evidence."
Everyone was startled.
Koo Chak-Sum asked curiously, "Based on legal evidence? What's that?"
Ko Yin-Bok looked through the two-way mirror at the troubled Wang Zhaoxiang in the interrogation room. "You all say…"
"When this guy committed the crimes, when Tan Zhaoliang was acting, was he truly completely unaware?"
What?
The three of them changed facial expression drastically.
Koo Chak-Sum exclaimed in surprise, "Sir Ko, you mean he knew about Tan Zhaoliang's existence?"
"So, he lied?"
Yuen Ho-Wan frowned. "This requires evidence, and we don't have definite evidence."
Ah Bang carefully reviewed the interrogation records and suddenly his eyes lit up. "This guy definitely knows about Tan Zhaoliang's existence."
Everyone gathered around.
Ah Bang pointed to the interrogation record and said, "Look here, Tan Zhaoliang's personality is quite straightforward; he says whatever he thinks."
"For such a big case as the serial family massacre, this guy also confessed without hesitation."
Everyone nodded in unison.
It must be said, Tan Zhaoliang was truly reckless.
"And this guy's modus operandi, fierce and sharp, very direct."
"This also corroborates my previous view."
"But there's one thing, I don't know if you've noticed."
"There's something very abnormal in this case."
Yuen Ho-Wan glared at him. "Why are you being so cryptic at a time like this?"
Ah Bang quickly apologized. "Occupational hazard, occupational hazard…"
"At these two crime scenes, we couldn't find any trace of Tan Zhaoliang at all."
The three were astonished.
Ah Bang said eerily, "Someone as reckless as him would definitely kill in a sudden outburst, impulsively."
"Would such a person care about fingerprints?"
"He used the blender in the kitchen twice, but did forensics find any fingerprints?"
"Probably not, right?"
Yuen Ho-Wan immediately realized. "Either this guy didn't kill in a fit of passion, or someone reminded him during the crime."
"Otherwise, given Tan Zhaoliang's personality, he wouldn't consider hiding his tracks!"
"He doesn't have that kind of brain!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
Yuen Ho-Wan patted him heavily on the shoulder. "Ah Bang, you're right!"
"These two guys conspired together."
"We almost got fooled by this guy."
Sir Yuen was furious!
"This bastard will rot in jail from now on. I will make sure to write today's events into the case file."
Koo Chak-Sum looked at the interrogation room with suspicion and unease, and was suddenly startled.
Inadvertently, Wang Zhaoxiang's lips curled into a slight smile, and his eyes were fierce, like a demon choosing someone to devour.